The Air Staff is one of the Department of the Air Force's two statutorily designated headquarters staffs: the other staff is the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, also known as the Secretariat.[a] The Air Staff is established by the United States Code Title 10chapter 905. The Air Staff is headed by the chief of staff of the Air Force General David Allvin. The Air Staff is primarily composed of uniformed United States Air Force officials who assist the chief of staff in carrying out his dual-hatted role: as the principal military advisor to the secretary of the Air Force, and as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Air Staff was reorganized in 2006 to be numbered in accordance with the Joint Staff system.[1] For the most part, the Joint Staff numbering system applies to the air staff. The Air Force separated Analysis and Assessments from A8 to create a separate directorate, A9, then in 2008, followed up with the creation of a separate directorate, A10, for the Air Force's nuclear mission.[2]
Joint Staff organization
Air Staff Organizational Chart
For brief reference, the organization of the Joint Staff follows. See the full article for more details, and the Continental Staff System for discussion.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff organization includes the following departments where all the Joint Staff's planning, policies, intelligence, manpower, communications and logistics functions are translated into action.[3]
A2 – Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
A3 – Operations
A4 – Logistics
A5 – Plans and Requirements
A6 – Warfighter Communications and Cyber Systems
A7 – Installations and Mission Support
A8 – Strategic Plans and Programs
A9 – Studies, Analyses, and Assessments
A10 – Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration Office
Multiple Air Force military commands follow this structure, but for the HQ Air Force at the Pentagon, they combine several into one office (A5/8 and A4/7). In addition, unlike the other branches of the U.S. armed forces that place "force development and training" in J7 like elements (i.e., G7, N7, etc.), the Air Force has no A7 "training" organization at the HAF level, retaining that function within its A3 organization.
Members of the Air Staff
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (O-10)
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (O-10)
Director of Staff of the United States Air Force (O-9)
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (E-9)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel, and Services (A1) (O-9)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (A2) (O-9)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (A3) (O-9)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering & Force Protection (A4) (O-9)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans & Requirements (A5/8) (O-9)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Warfighter Communications and Cyber Systems (A6)
Chief Information Officer (SAF/CN) (Senior Executive Service)
Director for Studies & Analyses, Assessments and Lessons Learned (A9) (Senior Executive Service)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration (A10) (O-9)
Judge Advocate General (O-9)
Surgeon General (O-9)
Director, Air Force History and Museums Policies and Programs (Senior Executive Service)
Chief of the Air Force Reserve Command (O-9)
Director of the Air National Guard (O-9)
Director of Tests and Evaluation (Senior Executive Service)
Chief of Chaplain Services (O-8)
Chief of Safety (O-8)
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (O-8)
Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force (Senior Executive Service)
^The Department contains a third headquarters staff, the Space Staff; however, unlike the Air Staff and the Office of the Secretary, the existence of the Space Staff is not a statutory provision.
References
^[1]Archived 2015-07-14 at the Wayback Machine Air Force Staff Restructures to Improve Joint Ops, Communication
^"A10 Countdown". Air & Space Forces Magazine (Daily Report). 23 October 2008. Archived from the original on 13 June 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2010. The new directorate on the Air Staff that will coordinate the Air Force's nuclear activities
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